System and method for avoiding signal spoofing attacks in wireless broadband networks

A mobile device, comprising:

• a processing system including a processor;
• and
• a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising:
• receiving a preliminary transmission from a first wireless access terminal of a mobile network, wherein the receiving of the preliminary transmission occurs before a successful completion of an attachment process between the mobile device and the first wireless access terminal, and wherein access to a network resource by the mobile device via the mobile network requires a successful completion of the attachment process;
• determining a physical relationship between the mobile device and the first wireless access terminal according to the preliminary transmission, resulting in a determined physical relationship;
• comparing the determined physical relationship to a predetermined threshold value to obtain a comparison result;
• and
• preventing successful completion of the attachment process based on the comparison result indicating an invalidating condition, wherein the physical relationship is based on a displacement between the mobile device and the first wireless access terminal, wherein the displacement is determined according to a first preliminary transmission comprising a first timing value corresponding to a first wireless propagation delay between the mobile device and the first wireless access terminal and a second preliminary transmission comprising a second timing value corresponding to a second wireless propagation delay between the mobile device and the first wireless access terminal.

A method, comprising:

• facilitating, by a processing system including a processor, establishment of an air interface layer according to a radio resource control protocol, between a mobile device and a first wireless access terminal of a mobile network service;
• receiving, by the processing system, an inquiry from the mobile device via the air interface layer, the inquiry requesting validation of a second wireless access terminal, the inquiry resulting from a rogue access terminal identification process initiated by the mobile device responsive to a physical relationship between the mobile device and the second wireless access terminal determined according to a prior attempted attachment between the mobile device and the second wireless access terminal;
• determining, by the processing system, indicia of the second wireless access terminal based on the inquiry;
• determining, by the process system, a validity status of the second wireless access terminal based on the indicia of the second wireless access terminal;
• and
• providing, by the processing system, the validity status to the mobile device via the air interface layer, wherein the physical relationship is based on a displacement between the mobile device and the first wireless access terminal, wherein the displacement is determined according to a first preliminary transmission comprising a first timing value corresponding to a first wireless propagation delay between the mobile device and the first wireless access terminal and a second preliminary transmission comprising a second timing value corresponding to a second wireless propagation delay between the mobile device and the first wireless access terminal.